Chapter 27 The Height of Knowledge (1902) Summary

Adams and Hay become depressed as President McKinley is assassinated and their friend King lies dying. Theodore Roosevelt, with whom they had been friends in Washington, assumes the Presidency. He is, like Grant and Garibaldi, a man who is "pure act"; as he is in power, he will no longer be a friend, according to Adams' experience.

Hay, however, does not cease to impress Adams. As Secretary of State, he is at the height of his powers, working, through treaties and alliances, to combine governments in something that reminds Adams of a socialist international scheme. That Hay, a conservative, should seem to be acting like a socialist strikes Adams as odd, but, at the same time, it makes sense as a way to pursue unity in an increasingly fragmented world.